Before we even talking about posting, let's talk about searching!Many people have been around here for a while and quite possibly run into the same problem you have. We've probably discussed it some, and maybe even resolved it. It's obviously going to be MUCH quicker for you to solve your problem by SEARCHING the forums BEFORE you post in an effort to research your problem a little. Even if you don't find the resolution, you may find other ideas to try. At worse, you'll learn more about this stuff and that can only be a good thing right?Now, I'll be the first to admit that the search engine built into the forum software (it's phpBB, made to work in DF) blows chunks big-time. I mean, REALLY big-time. Sometimes I think there is a dyslexic non-English speaking hamster with an IQ lower than my shoe size hiding behind the Search function... but still. Please take the time to Search first. There's nothing more annoying than seeing a post about a problem that has been posted and resolved in the last few days.So, you've searched and found nothing... what's next? Posting!Here are the commandments, please repeat them after me..

1. First up, please post in the correct, or most appropriate, forum. Some forums are dedicated to specific products or projects (eg. the WoWRoster forum and UniUploader/UniAdmin forum) while others are more generalised.

2. Please do not 'thread hijack', ie. reply to an existing thread with an unrelated or different topic or issue. A thread is just that - a single contiguous stream of discussion on a specific topic. Do NOT reply to a post where one person's issue is being discussed with your own issue unless it is the same issue. And that means getting IDENTICAL error messages. If there's no error, assume it's a different issue. If you have a different issue, start your own thread. This is for your own benefit! If unsure, start your own thread and add a link back to another thread.

3. Please include information, the more the better (relevant of course). We are not mind readers nor are we paid to do this for a living and while people here are keen to help, the harder you make it to do this, the less likely people are to offer their help. Not providing this information, or saying "I have the latest versions" is just sheer laziness and guaranteed to reduce people's desire to help you.So, what's a good starting point for information to include?

A clear problem descriptionSounds obvious eh? I mean, that's what brings most people here initially right? But still many people post vague problem descriptions and expect people to understand what is going on. We don't, OK? We're not inside your head or looking at your screen. You need to provide as clear and accurate description as possible.

Posting at 3am in the morning when you are half asleep and have been battling with a problem is the absolute worst time to post. You'll probably come across as incoherent at best. Wait until the next day when you can go back and look at the problem afresh, chances are you'll fix it, but if not, your post will make a lot more sense.

When did the problem start?Is it a brand new install and the problem has always occurred?Was it all working fine then suddenly the problem started? If so, what changed (yeah, I know... nothing ever changed... the code in the files suddenly decided to change without you knowing just to piss you, and us, off...)Is it one character, some characters, or all characters experiencing the problem? If one of the first two - what is possibly different about the characters, the way the data is being uploaded, etc.?Did the problem start after doing some updates or edits to some of the files (please, be honest about this. Hiding information like this forcing us to expend precious time helping you only to find one of your own edits was the cause is not going to endear you to anyone...)?

System ConfigWhat version of the software are you using? If it isn't the newest from the downloads section, you should first update to this version before posting your problem.What version of PHP are you using?What version of MySQL are you using?Is it your own server or hosted? If hosted, by whom? (we see heaps of limitations and problems with hosted services, eg. GeoCities, Yahoo, etc.)What version of CharacterProfiler, GuildProfiler, and PvPLog (if being used) are you using?What language is your system, server, WoW server, etc.?If relevant, what version of UniUploader are you using?If relevant, what version of UniAdmin are you using?A link to your roster can help too depending on the problem.

Error messagesUploading issues - please post1. The text produced in the webpage (or UniUploader Server Response tab if using UniUploader) - not just the error but *all* the text.2. Please attach a copy of the SavedVariables.lua file, do not paste the text directly in the post.

General web -> database issueAgain, please post the error text and as much other text on screen so we can see the context.

Broken or corrupt web page layoutA picture is worth a thousand words! Really! Take a screenshot of the problem and attach it to your post.These rules are in place not because we are a bunch of egotistical forum nazis with small genitalia, they are designed to ensure maximum benefit and efficiency to all those who use and participate in the community within these forums.

Last edited by zanix on Tue Jan 08, 2008 2:46 am, edited 2 times in total.